Lisandro Martínez was sent off as Manchester United lost again to keep Michael Carrick’s future uncertain

3 min: A rare old atmosphere at the Bridge. Saturday lunchtime pints! You see? We have photographic proof.

2 min: A fairly hectic and shapeless start. “The ghosts of managerial past are truly haunting this fixture,” writes Michael Coppejans. “Will there be an exorcism or just a sad departing at the end of this one? Chances are neither as I see in my crystal ball a draw. Let’s hope it as at least exciting for your MBM. Happy Halloween or Samhain if that is your preference!”

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2 min: Dewsbury-Hall shoots. Deflected. Nothing comes of the corner. Everton are playing in blue, Newcastle a pinky purple.

The match begins. Sky’s red-button treatment of this game, squirrelled away deep in its planner, is little short of a disgrace.

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Basque pals Andoni and Xabi embrace warmly … but so much for friendship, because Chelsea turn Liverpool around, so the home side are kicking towards the Kop in this first half. They’re not huge fans of that. They kick off.

The teams are out! Liverpool in red, Chelsea in blue. These lads always look good when they play each other. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes!

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The teams take to the pitch. Chelsea in blue, Spurs in white, and it won’t be long before every shirt is soaking wet. Has the signature work of the Harry J All Stars ever been so apposite? We’ll be off in a couple of minutes.

Roberto De Zerbi also speaks to Sky. “James Maddison is a very important player … he brings personality, qualities, experience … a different position on the pitch … he’s a different player to Conor Gallagher or [Omar] Marmoush as a number ten … we have to find him in the right moment in the best position … [Dominic Solanke] felt fatigue after Coventry … I am lucky to have a big squad with many different solutions … so I took the decision [to rest him] but the game is 90 minutes.”

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2 min: It’s windy in Suffolk. Walton batters a clearance upfield as best he can. Forest very much playing with the wind at their back in this first half.

Most everyone takes the knee … there’s no room for racism … then Forest get the ball rolling. Or flying. Gibbs-White hoicks it straight out for a goal kick.

Declan Rice struck to earn Arsenal a point after Harry Kane scored from the spot, but Bukayo Saka’s early injury will be a concern

The teams are out! Bayern are in one of their all-red phases, while Arsenal are harking back to the early 90s with a blue version of the famous bruised banana. Vincent Kompany is in the house, by the way, having recovered from a virus that threatened to keep him in bed. And so is Germany boss Jurgen Klopp, in the stands flashing that smile and throwing his arm around the shoulder of another erstwhile Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez. Everyone having a good time, it seems, and looking forward to this big showdown, including Arsenal fan Charles Antaki … well, kind of: “Pretty dismal, the fare served up in the game against Forest. But! Pundits have assured us that because Bayern are going to be on the attack, Arsenal will be free to entertain us with a dazzling display of skill, ambition, irresistible cheeks and above all, goals. Not much to say about that except We Shall See.” We’ll be off in a minute or two.

Mikel Arteta speaks to TNT Sports. “We’re gonna have to play, I expect, three or four different games at different stages … we need everybody ready because we need to change and adapt to that … freshness … very excited … we have talked about our enthusiasm for playing on these big stages … that’s where you want to get tested … play with a lot of courage … a lot of aggression … be decisive … we have prepared for what we have to do.”

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Villarreal kick off. They’re kicking towards the Kop in this first half.

Both sets of fans give their all to this evening’s pre-match dip into the Rodgers and Hammerstein songbook. Nunca caminarás solo! After which the teams take to the field of play. Liverpool in red, Villarreal in yellow, everyone looking real crisp and clean. A fine atmosphere on a rainy night on Merseyside. The close pals Andoni Iraola and Iñigo Pérez embrace before facing off. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes.

Pedro Neto’s goals bookended the second half and earned Chelsea a rare victory at Everton

Everton kick off, and launch it long. Martinez claims the punt.

Before the kick-off, everyone takes the knee. It’s the first of two weeks of the Premier League’s No Room For Racism campaign. Challenge it, report it, change it.

PSG led 3-0 at the break after a breathtaking first half and held on despite an improved City display

2 min: Cherki is caught dozing by Dembélé, who sends Doué scampering down a cul-de-sac on the left. Cherki will be pleased Khusanov was on point there.

PSG, in their blue shirts with red central panel, launch the kick-off in their usual rugby-union style. City in their sky blue.

Dominic Solanke earned a deserved point for Spurs despite Rodrigo Bentancur’s red card

Spurs get the ball rolling. They’re kicking towards the Stretford End in this first half.

The teams are out. Manchester United in their famous red, white and black, Tottenham in second-choice dark blue with diagonal multi-coloured neon nonsense. Meanwhile here’s the first line of a song ringing out loud from all four corners of Old Trafford: “You know what you are.” No prizes for guessing the rest of the lyrics, or which club they’re serenading. Don’t look back in anger? Good luck with that! We’ll be off in a minute.

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Some slapstick shenanigans on ITV as the Wembley water sprinklers turn on Ian Wright, Roy Keane and Mark Pougatch as Wright is mid-soliloquy in praise of Jude Bellingham. It’s not quite up there with your Harry Redknapp and Martin Keown touchline classics, but mildly entertaining nonetheless. Wright doesn’t look particularly amused, and tries to style it out by joking about all his wasted prep for the Bellingham bit, though his light-coloured suit now has moist patches, and one suspects he’s more concerned about the spatter than his patter. Keane remains admirably unperturbed, though you’d still pay cash money to witness any back-and-forth that may occur with the Wembley groundsman later on.

There’s a better-than-evens chance of England effectively qualifying for March’s quarter-finals tonight. Should they – as expected – beat Czechia, and should Spain – as expected – see off Croatia, England would find themselves comfortably in second spot on nine points, with the Croats in third on three. That wouldn’t put the Three Lions officially over the line, but Croatia would then only be able to at best tie England on points by the end of the group phase in November; in that scenario, it’d then go to the head-to-head, and the only way Croatia could win that is if they’d beaten England by an eight-goal margin at Wembley. Fair play if all this comes to pass.

Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka grabbed two goals each as England demolished their opponents in Rijeka

Thomas Tuchel speaks to ITV. “[Being in Rijeka on the sunny Adriatic coast] has helped us to unwind and recharge our batteries …. now we need to switch on … the atmosphere is very different … we want to make it really competitive … I think we are up for it … [Alex Scott] did so well when he made his debut … the full package … there is a lot to defend on [Jarell Quansah’s] side with [Ivan] Perišić … we have [Trent Alexander-Arnold] as an option from the bench … hopefully we can get the edge in physicality.”

Been Around The Block dept. Harry Kane will win his 124th cap for England today. That will put him just one appearance shy of Peter Shilton’s all-time record of 125 for his country. Jordan Pickford is the next cab off the rank for England – he’ll be winning his 92nd cap here – then it’s Bukayo Saka who’ll make it to 58. Croatia by comparison have experience up the yin-yang: Luka Modrić will earn his 203rd cap today, while Ivan Perišić and Mateo Kovačić will win caps 159 and 118 respectively. Should Andrej Kramarić get on at any point, he’ll pick up his 120th Croatian cap.

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GOAL! Stoke City 1-1 Sheffield United (McGlynn 78). Another leveller in the Championship, thanks to Jack McGlynn at the bet365.

GOAL! Millwall 2-2 West Ham United (Mavropanos 80). … and now West Ham are level! They get to take a corner this time. They take it short. Manor Solomon drops a shoulder to make space on the right, crosses long, and Konstantinos Mavropanos plants a header into the top left!

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2 min: Schade advances menacingly down the left, chasing after a long ball by Lewis-Potter. He enters the box ahead of Fofana, but the Chelsea defender does magnificently well to catch up, take over possession, and brush Schade off the ball. Schade claims for a penalty, but not with any real conviction. We play on. It was a fine challenge.

Chelsea get the ball rolling at the Gtech. More accurately, Palmer sends it sailing directly into touch, rugby-style, down the right. A wonderful few-Friday-night-pints-in atmosphere. “If Brentford have no defence at centre back, do Chelsea have a defence anywhere?” wonders Richard Hirst.

A good night for Bournemouth and Palace but a miserable one for Celtic

TNT’s Connie McLaughlin asks Celtic boss Martin O’Neill to “talk to us about the thinking behind” replacing goalkeeper Sam Johnstone with Viljami Sinisalo … and receives an unnecessarily abrupt and cranky response. “No I’ll not talk to you about the thinking behind that … he was always going to play … believe it or not, Connie, my job is not actually to explain every single situation to you … do you know what I’ll do? … I’ll tell the fans … through my Celtic TV.”

Would he like to talk about the other three changes? “No, absolutely not … I don’t want to be ruinous here of this situation … start again, and tell me all about it … give me the rest of the changes … [McLaughlin tells him] … I’m delighted you’re taking about James Forrest … he’s been a fantastic player … getting on a little bit … he’s been a fantastic impact sub … let’s see what he can do … can he last the game? … I doubt it very much … thank you.”

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1 min: There have been a few concerns about Mamardashvili’s distribution with his feet … and he whistles his first pass, a simple one towards Kerkez on the left, out of play. He looks suitably sheepish. No real harm done, though.

After a quick blast of You’ll Never Walk Alone, Tottenham Hotspur get the ball rolling. They’re kicking towards the Kop in this first half. Meanwhile Ian Copestake replies to krishnamoorthy v: “I could have crossed the road faster but I have to get my kicks somehow.”

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Charley Hull lets go of her club – a wet grip? – while sending her second at the par-five 2nd into a fairway bunker. She whips into the green and makes par, but Megan Khang set up a six-foot birdie chance to level the match. However she repeats the error of the 1st hole, leaving a dribbler short, failing to take into account the slowness of the wet greens. A let-off for Hull.

1UP Hull v Khang (2)
Henseleit A/S Al. Lee (1)
Grant v Yin

⛳️ Solheim Cup updates from second day Bernardus Golf
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Nelly Korda chops an awful tee shot wide right of the par-three 4th green. Team USA’s ball in deep heather. A big problem for Allisen Corpuz, who decides to punch out and hope the back-stop will bring her ball back towards the flag. But she knifes it through the green, and the ball stops inches short of a bunker on the other side. It might have been better going in. Korda can’t get close with her chip, and Europe will have two putts for the hole. Meanwhile the anchor match halves the 1st.

Jennifer Kupcho goes close with her approach at 2; Esther Henseleit goes even closer. That’s a gimme for Europe, so Rose Zhang does well to hold her nerve and make the putt from six feet to secure the half. Meanwhile Allisen Corpuz sinks a ten-footer on 3 to level the lead match, while Charley Hull and Alison Lee get the anchor game underway by trading fairway finders. It’s all happening now.

Spain’s Carlota Ciganda made an amazing par at 18 to tie her match as day one ended all square after both foursomes and fourballs were tied 2-2

Europe do indeed escape from their travails on 1 with a half. Alison Lee leaves her birdie putt short, and Nanna Koertz Madsen tidies up. But the USA strike back on 2, Nelly Korda wedging close with her approach on the par five, and Lottie Woad can’t save the day with her 15-foot right-to-left putt. All square in the opening two matches.

Corpuz/Korda A/S Hull/Woad (2)
Koerstz Madsen/Boutier A/S Coughlin/Al. Lee (1)

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Arsenal make four changes to their starting XI following the 2-1 victory over Chelsea. Typically, having just posted a large picture of Kai Havertz, he’s one of four players stood down, along with Myles Lewis-Skelly, Christos Tzolis and the increasingly influential Riccardo Calafiori. Piero Hincapié, Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino and Viktor Gyökeres – the latter making his first start of the season – are in.

Napoli have a few faces familiar to Premier League fans in their starting XI. Billy Gilmour, formerly of Chelsea, Norwich and Brighton; Manchester City legend Kevin De Bruyne; and erstwhile Manchester United striker Rasmus Højlund. Scott McTominay, also once of Old Trafford, is out until next month, having recently had successful surgery to treat an irregular heartbeat.